Power transmission and control.



A. BEIJER.

POWER TRANSMISSION AND CONTROL. APPLICATION mmm/w19, 1913.

l 9 lL 899@1;2 Patented June 2'?, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

HW. le'

NN. NNNIN A. BEUER.

POWER TRANSMkSSEON AND CONTROL.

APPLlc/mon FILED MAY 19, |913.

Lwggm, Patented Jun@ 27,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

parenti' ARTHUR BELT ER, OF STEVENS POINT, WISCONSIN.

POWER TRANSMSSION AND CONTROL.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented .rune er, wie.

Application filed May v19, 1913. Serial No. 768,538.

ToaZZ lwhom it 'may concern Be it known tiat I, ARTHUR BEIJER, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Stevens Point, in the county of Portage and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power Transmission and Control, of which the f ollowing is a specification.

IMy invention relates to power transmission and has vparticular `reference to hydraulic transmission of power from a prime mo\ er to a motor, or to a'series of individual and substantially independent motors.

The object of thelinvention is to provideJ a simple, effective and easily controlled hydraulic transmission adapted for self-propelling vehicles as well asy for numerous other uses. To this end the present transmission permits the prime mover in the form of the usual internal combustion engine, or

.series thereof, of an automobile to run at a constant speed, while a series of hydraulically driven motors for the wheels of the machine may be controlled at will as to their speed or power from 'Zero to their maximum capacity, their direction of movement re-' versed, and any desired braking 'force applied in either direction of movement. This is accomplished'by means of a simple and novel pumping mechanism driveny by the .prime mover, a series of novel motors driven by hydraulic pressure, and a novel and very simple controlling valve 'wh reby` the fluids direction of motion and'wolme of flow, or degree`of pressure on the) motors, is controlled.

. i In the drawings-Figure 1 is a top plan ,view of the running gear of a. self-propelled vehicle with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same partly in section. Fig. B is a side elevation in section taken 'substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 of one of the individual vehicle Wheel motors embodying my invention. Fig. lis a section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the pump, A

taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a section taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a View of the controller valve and a section thereof taken substantially on line 7 7 of Fig. 8, the section line removing merely the housing to show the valve-core in full. Fig. 8 is a section taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9is aview similar to Fig. 8 showing the valve core and its'passage in a different position. Fig. 10 is a section through the valve casing leaving the valve core intact, this section beingv taken substantially on line 10-10 of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a broken away and enlarged detail taken from Figs. 1 and 2 and represents a longitudinal section through one of the two ball joints through which the fluid is conducted to and from the motors, these joints being substantially flexible sections of the fluid conduit pipes between the controller Valve and the wheel motors. Fig. 12 is an end elevation ofthe support for front wheels of the vehicle, showing the Huid. conduits 'to and from the forward motors, this wheel support or frame being hollow members which serve as pipes or conduits. Fig. 13 is a broken away detail.

Referring in detail to the several views, and, first, to the general plan of the transmission systein as ldisclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, 2 represents the usual spring-supported frame carried upon the wheel axles in the usual construction and serving to carry the tonneau or body, (not shown). The details of the support for this frame are not shown as they are. immaterial for the purposes o'f the present invention. rllhe ordinary eXplosion engine carried `by this frame is represented by cylinders ?bifand 5 and the vehicle wheels are designated at 6, 7, 8, and 9, the latter two being the front wheels. A fluid forcing pump 10 connected through a pipe 11 with a controller valve 12, all within casing. 18, are. mounted in any suitable manner on the frame 2. From the controller valve 12 the iuid passes through a short pipe 14 into an annular space 15 of a section of conduits having at its ends ball'joints 16 and 17, both substantially identical and represented in section on an enlarged scale in Fig. 11. From the space 15 the fluid.

' through a pipe 30. 'The return circulation from the front motors is similar, throu h what may, for the sake of comparison, 5e termed 'a hollow from the middle of which leads a pipe l32 into the ball jointed sections inner conduit namely,

v orspace 28, the latter, as already explained yzo communicating with the valve 12through the short passage 29 and thence through'the pipe 30 back into the pump 10. The details touching the manner of connecting the pipes 20, 21, 24, 25, and 31 with the motor casing's 18, 19, 22 and 23 may be varied in numerous well known'ways and do not constitute specific parts of the present invention.- In Fig. 12 the pipes 24., 25 and 31 have their ends swiveled to the motors l22 and 23, the swivel joints being of course, hollow to permit the passage oi liuid into and from the motors, because the front wheels must turn, while the rear motor connections for pipes 2O and 21 and axle 26 may be rigid, or substantially so. l.As the frame 2 is usually mounted on springs resting on the front and rear axles, or -their equivalents inthe present invention, the ball lprovide repjoints. 16 and 17 are provided to spnnsive flexibility 2in the liui conduits where they are connected with the pum-p 10 and its .controller valve 12.

The enlarged detail Figs. 3 to 10 bothinelusive deal with the pump, motor and controller valve mechanism b means of which the above-described circu ation of fiuid is controlled for forward and'backward propulsion, braking, disconnecting the pump and motors from their lfluid-connection, etc. Referring, now, in detail to the pump repo resented in Fi 5 and 6, which are chiefly distinguished rom Figs. 3 and 4 representing the motor for each of the wheels, in that in Figs. 5 and 6 the inner casing car- .ryingfa series of cylinders, revolves about a stationary crank, while in Figs. 3 and 4 the crank revolves and the inner casing is stationary. In Figs. 5 and 6 the pum) 10. an

has an outer stationary/casing 33 an inner rotating casing 34. Between the two casings is an annular space 35 which is provided with a hollow hub 36 that connects with the pipe 11 in Figs. 1 and 2. The fluid is admitted into the inner casingv 34 by way of a hollow'inlet'hub 37 on a casing 38 in which is a chamber-3 9. On the casing 38 front axle ,31,

. respective cylinders.

is a flange r40 that is bolted or otherwise edge of a plate or securedl to a `p'rojectin partition wall 41 whic forms one side of the stationary casing 33, and has an opening 42'therethrough leading into a like opening 43- which leads into the interior of the inner casing 34. `rIhe opening 43 is in a 47 and on the plate 41 is a like hub 48 supported on a web 49 spanning the space or opening 42. In these hubs is secured .or

keyed a shaft 50 on the inner end of which is keyed a crank 51 having a wrist pin 52. 'The casing 34 is rotated by a shaft 53 secured tothe opposite side 54. This shaft has a bearing in a hollow hub 55 formed on the stationary outer casing 33`surr0unding the pump. The shaft 53 is drivenfrom the driving shaft of the prime'mover cated in Fig. 2 at 56, which shaft 56 carries a pinion 57 meshing with a gear wheel 58 that is keyed on the shaft 53.

4'Within the rotary casing 34' are mounted a series of cylinders 59, 60 Vand 61, the number of which is not restricted by the nature of the invention to the three shown. .On the inside -Wall of the casing or housing 34'are formed curved seats 62, 63 and' 64 through which and the housing are cut 'ports 65, 66

wall 44v isla removable wall of the casing to I permit the mounting of the cylinders. The rings 71, 72 and 73 have each two different internal 4diameters and the external diameters of the cylinders are formed as shown in Fig. 5 to lit into the rings and provide opposing shoulders on rings and cylinders between which are formed annular spaes 74, and 76.l These spaces are brought into vcommunication with the ports 65, 66 and 67 through bores 77, 7 8 and 79 in the' The outer ends of the cylinders are formed with curved ends 80,

8 1 and 82 which correspond to the curvatures of the housing seats and are concentric with the trunnions 68, 69 and 70. In these curved cylinder ends are ports 83, 84 and which are successively oscillated into and l out of register with the housing ports 65, 66 and 67 by means of pistons 86, 87. and 88 and piston-rods 89, and 91 connected with the wrist pin 52 of the crank, when the housing and its cylinders are rotatedl about the stai the cylinders.

f troller valve 12 andlfrom the latter the iuid mesma shaft to be turned by any suitable leverconnection with the operators seat or position. It will be noticed by reference'to Fig. 6 that the shaft 50 is eccentric to the axis of rotation of the housing, or, in other words, tothe axis.of the shaft 53. By mounting the shaft 50 one-half the throw of its crank out of center of shaft 53- the wrist pin 52 may be turned into a position where said wrist-pin will be exactly concentric with the shaft 53, in which position the rotation of the inner casing or housing 34 would impart no movement to either thev pistons or From such zero position the crank is vadjustable out of center with the shaft 53 to any desired degree' up t0- the maximum throw of the crank, which in the case of the stationary crank means the length of piston movement.

From the above-described mounting of the `cylinders against their curved seats it will be seen that the cylinders themselves in coperation with the housing seats, serve as valves and provide an accurate and dependable valve action wherein lost motion is substantially wholly eliminated.

`In Fig. 5 53 represents the center or axis of the shaft 53 50 is the axisof the shaft 50 and 52 the axis of the wrist pin 52, while the y.dotted linefrom 52 to. 53 indicates the full adjustment throw of the crank 51 or its pi-nv 52.

The pump receives the'fluid from the system within its -housing 34 and discharges it into the space 35 and thence out of the pump through the outer 'casing at 36 in the manner indicated by thearrows in Figs. .5 and 6.

VrAs previously explained the pipe 11 in Figs.

1 and 2 connects the hub 36 with the conproceeds to the motors and is returned to the valve 12 at 14 andto the inlet 37 (Fig. 6) through the pipe 30 (Figs. 1 and 2) which pipe connects the .controller valve with the hub 37. The system, including pump, motors and piping,- may be filled in any suit-" able manner, as,''for` instance, b'yathe. capped'.

opening 92 on-the-'pump chamber 38.V

One of the four motors shown in Figs. 1

- and 2'is shown on an enlarged scale in Figs.

3 and 4. Slo far as the cylinders and their valve seats are concerned the construction of Figs. 3 and 4 is the same as thatshown in Figs. 5 and 6. The motor has a stationary outer casing 93.',a`n inner casing or cylinder housing 94 with arrangements the same as in Figs. 5 and 6. yThe housing 93 has ahollow 'hub inlet port which is shown 4with a coupling connection 96 attached to a sectionof? pipe 20. "The details of such connection are, however, not essential to the operation of the invention and may be varied in numerous. ways. Diametricallyopposed to the hub is a. hub 96 which extends from the inner casing or housing 94 through the outer casing 93 with which connection may be made with. the axle conduit 31 shown in Fig. 12. In Fig.A 3 this hub is closed by a ca-p 97 to adapt the casing for the rear wheel connections where the return flow takes placethrough the center .of the motor instead of at the hub 96. In Fig. 4 the central, or axle, passageleading from Athe interior of the housing is closed by a cap 98 to adapt the motor for the front (Fig. 12). The annulary space between the outer casing and the motor `housing (99) is substantially the same as the space 35 in the pump, and,

likewise, the removable wall 100 of the mo tor is similar to the wall 44 of the pump in.

function and arrangement.

The motor shaft carrying the crank for the cylinders is designated as 101 and the crank as 102. The shaft 101 has its bearing in a hub 103 which projects from the motor housing 94. To this shaft the wheel of the Y vehicle, designated as 6 in Fig. 4, or as one of the four shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is keyed or secured in any suitable manner. Opposite the shaft is a central port 104 which is shown closed by the cap 98. Adjacent to the cap is shown a section of the rear axle 26 with a ange 98 identical to the flange on the cap. By substituting the flanged end forA the rear axle for the 'cap 98 said rear axle isy made the return conduit for the rear motors as explained in connection with the initial description of Figs. 1 and 2. However the connection of the rear axle with the motors, whether this axle be an integral part of the plate 100, or mounted in any other way,-it not a detail that is essential to this invention, so far as any particular form of connection is concerned, and the arrangement shown is merely for the purpose of illustrating the adaptability of the motor shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to any of the positions on the vehicle.

The controller valve .12 is shown on an enlarged scale in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10. This consists of a tapered cylindrical casing designated as 12 on thelarge end of which- .is la lremovable cover 105 having therein a' 'bearing recess 106 for one end ofv a coreshaft 107 on a core 108. The othervend of this shaft has a bearing in a hollowI hub 109 on the small end of the casing. 0n the pro' jecting end of the shaft is keyed an arm or lever 110 shown in Fig. 1 by means of which the core 108 is turned to register a`cored out passage 111 with a series of inlet and outlet ports 112, 113 and 114, passing through hubbed portions of the casing as shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10.'` Adjacent to the opening 112 is another similar opening 115 which lis always open to lspaces 116 and 117 above. and below 4the core 108 and which spaces are open to each other through vertical spaces 118. and 119 (Fig. 8) on opposite sides of the core;Y Through the core passage 111 two of the ports 112, 113 and 114 may be connected'with each other. In Fig. 9 the ports 112 and 114 are made substantially acontinuous part of the passage 111. The positions of the hubbed ports 112, 113 and 114 relative to the conduit pipes leading to and from the valve are all indicated in Fig. 2

by these port numbers. The position of the valve port 115 is indicated in Fig. 1 by the numeral 115 as at the lower end of the pipe 30. In view of the foregoingidescriptions.

Fig. 2 'shows that 112 is the inlet port from the pump, 114 the outlet port into the pipes 20, 21, 24 and 25, and 113 'the return inlet port into the valve from the return pipes 27 and 32 and Fig. 9 shows the valve core ad- "justed for such a course of movement of the fluid, which` may be called the full power forward movement during which the fluid Hows from port 112 to and out of port 114 through the passage 111 andreturns into the valve .through the port 113 whence it passesl around the core 108 into the outlet 115 and into the pump Via the inlet 37. By turning the core 108 so that its passage 111 will register with the openings 112 and 113 the movement of the fluid will be reversed and the motors caused to run in the opposite direction. In the latter event the outgoing pipes will be 27, 32, 26 and 31 and the return pipes 20, 21, 24 and 25, and in Fig. 2 113 will be theoutlet and 114 the inlet to the valve 112.

This reverse position of the. valve is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9, referring to the position `of the valve core shown in Figs. 8 and 10. In this position the circulation of the fluid between pump and valve in the one.

tween valve and motors-is free of the pump and Hows idly under such impetus as the motors give it as an independent circuit.

Modification of the speed of the vehicle or motors from either full steam ahead indicated by the full line position of'the passage 111 in Fig. V9 or full power backward movement indicated by the dotted lines in the same ligure, is accomplished by adjusting the valve to let only alportion of the fluid traverse the full circuit and" letting the remaining portion follow the short circuit.l or return to the pump. This division ofy the full hydraulic pressure is accomplished in the manner indicated by dotted line position of passage 111 shown in Fig. 8. In this position the valve directs a portion of the fluid entering at 112 into- 111 and 114 and the remaining portion intothe spaces surrounding the core and thence into the return outlet from the valve 115. The valve is also utilized as a substantially certain brake with any desired degree of dependable force, by interposing closer parts of the core partially or wholly in front of the port-s 113 or 114. The ends of what may Abe termed the solid part of thecore are utilized,

for this purpose and are designated as 120 and 121, the latter, looking at Fig. 8, being used to brake, say, a backward movement while t-he former serves .as a forward movement brake. In turning the core from one position to another these braking portions would cause unintentional braking andvl to obviate such unintentional braking a pair of puppet valves are provided each of which acts automatically to provide relief against unintentional blocking of the circuit while the braking portion passes av port. Looking at Fig. 9 the core cannot be turned to change'the flow from 112 to 114 to 112 to 113 without momentarily interposing the imperforate or solid portion or end 121 as a vcloser for the port 114. If 114 is closed a partial vacuum will be produced between this port and the motors, assuming that the course of the iiow makes the port 114 an outlet port of the valve., Relief against such a vacuum is provided in a puppet valve 122 which has its seat in a circular depression in the end 121 of the so called solid part of the core. A similar puppet valve 124 is seated in the bottom of a recess or depresi sion 125 in the solid end 120. The recesses `123 and 125 .are connected by a bore 126 which contains stems 127 and 128 for the valves 124 and 122, respectively. vOn the stem 128 is a yoke or forkedmember 129 into which the stem 127 slides freely.v 0n the yoke or fork are inturned lugs, or their equivalent, 130 lagainst which one end of a compression spring131 bears while the op- 'posite end of this spring is secured to the end of the stem 127. The spring thus tends to draw the puppet valves toward each other, or, in other words, hold the valves against their seats.

It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 8 that the bore 126 intersects the space 119, hence when vsuction takes place through the port 114 the atmospheric pressure back of the valve 121, or in the space 119, will force the valve 122 outwardly thus opening a passage from 119 to 114 through the bore 126. If the valve core is turned to bring gether with the faces of 12,0 or 121, as the case may be, serves as a brake by being interposed against the current. Closing 'the port 113 entirely by the closer portion 120 of the core would effect a sudden stoppage of forward movement, and the closing of port 114 in like manner would suddenly stop a backward movement, assuming that the tions `indicated by said arrows.

direction of rotation of each motor is such as to make the outflow from the valve to the motors at 113'and the inflow from the motors to the valve at 114.

`The arrows in Figs. 1 and 2 indicate the course of `the circulation during one direction of movement of the pump and motors,

and a reversal of the flow between controller valve and motors would reverse the direc- The speed of currents through the motors may be modified either by short-circuiting a part of the How through the cont-roller valve or by shortening the strokes of the pump cylinder pistons. Such shortening of pump strokes would tend to speed up the engine or primemover and increase the power for hill-climbing purposes. Where this hydraulic power system is used to run a number of independent machines each machine would be pro'- vided with its own controller valve and through -it control the direction, volume or speed of flow for the individual motor provided for such machine. v

In neither of the valve core positions will the circuit between the pump and valve be blocked as the port 112 is always open to the passage 111 when it registers with either port 113 or port 1'14 'and when itA does -not so register the port 112 ,is either partly or wholly open to the outlet 115. When only partly open to the latter the remainder of the outlet isfound through the passage 111 and either the portf113 or theport 114. As the braking i's 'effected by interrupting the flow between' the controlling valve and motors no strain is thrown on the power plant or` pressurefonpump and, as shown, the wide range of variations may be effected by small` movements. The size of each cylinder port is4 made slightly less than onethird of the arc of its oscillation so that it will register alternately with the cylinder closing portion of the valve seat, the valve seat port and the inside of the housing' rIhe inner ends of the cylinders within their mounting rings are .acted upon by the :duld

admitted into the annular spaces between said ends and rings to hold the curved valve ends of the cylinders closely against their seats, the surface area of said inner ends being slightly in excess of the cylinder valve seat area exposed to pressure from the space `around the cylinder housing. The pump takes its motive fluid from within the cylinder housing while the motors take theirs from without the housing, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 3 to G, and discharge into the housing.

In the annular spaces 74, and 76, between the shoulders formed between the cylinder and its encircling ring in each instance, may be inserted a series of springs to assist the pressure'in said spaces in holding the cylinders against their seats. Fig. 13 shows an enlarged section of a cylinder and ring with a spring 74v inserted between the cylinder and ring to indicate the lspring pressure arrangement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-l 1. In a pump, the combination with a rotatable casing having ports therein, of a series of oscillating cylinders which serve as valves for said ports, a stationary and eccentrically mounted crank shaft with which the pistons of said cylinders have crank connection', said crank shaft being rotatably adj ustable to move the crank connections with said pistons into various degrees of eccentricity relative to the axis of said casing.

2. A pump consisting of a rotatable casing vhaving ports therein and a series of radially arranged cylinders having oscillatory movements which control said portsthe piston rodsl of said 4cylinders being connected with the wrist-pin of a stationary crank that is adjustable 'to move said wrist-pin from concentricity to eccentricity relative to the axisof rotation of said casing.

3. A. variable speed gear comprising a rotary, oscillating cylinder pump and an oscillating cylinder motor having valve-controlled fluid connections, and each having piston connection with a single crank shaft, the crank shaft of the pump being stationary and eccentric to its axis of rotation and adjustable to vary its crank throw.

4. In a variable speed gear, a rotatable pump casing having ports and radially arranged cylinders controlling said ports, a'

pivot to whichthe pistons of said cylinders are connected, means for moving said pivot from concentric to eccentric relation to the aXis of the pumps rotation, a motor having similarly 'incased and arranged cylinders, but whose casing is stationary, said cylinders having crank connection with the motor shaft, and valve controlled conduits between said pump and motor ports.A

5. @The combination with a rotatable cas- I ing provided with fluid inlet and outlet crank being adjustably rotatable, an oscillating cylinder motor having its pistons connected with .the crank of a rotating shaft, and valve-controlled fluid connections between said pump and mot-or.-

7. The-combination with a driving shaft and a driven shaft, of a pump consisting of a casing rotated by said driving shaft and having ports therein together with a series of radially arranged cylinders constructed, arranged and operating to control said ports and provided with means for varying the lengths of piston strokes from immovability to the maximum length of stroke, and a motor consisting of a similar, bu-t stationary,

casing having similarly arranged and acting vcylinders therein whose pistons are arranged Lto rotate the driven shaft, motor fluid co-nduits connecting said pump and motor, and a valve controlling the volume and direction of flow of Huid through-said conduits.

8. A variable speed gear. comprising a driving element consisting of a rotary oscillating cylinder structure having a plurality of oscillating cylinders and coper-ating pistons therein acting as a pump, a driven element consisting of a stationary oscillating cylinder structure adapted to. be connected to a driven device and having a plurality of yoscillating cylinders and coperating pistons therein acting as a motor, the fluid connections between the pump and the motor, and means for altering the power capacity of the pump.

9.I The combination with a stationary casing, of a housing mounted to rotate within said casing, a passage for a driving fluid between said casing and housing, ports in said housing leading from said passage to the interior of said housing, cylinders mounted for oscillatory movement and controlling said ports, said'cylinders having corresponding ports adapted to register with the hous? ing ports, a relatively fixed crank eccentrically disposed with reference to the axis of rotation of said housing, means for adjusting saidy crank pin toward and from said axis, pistons for said cylinders, piston-rods pivoted to said crank, and means for rotating said housing and thereby oscillating said cylinders about said axis.

.10. rIhe combination with a housing, of cylinders within said housing, an annular passage in said housing having ports leading vto said cylinders, ports for conveying fluid into and from said passage and housing, respectively, pistons for said cylinders, a valve mechanism for said cylinders which consists of the co-a'ctio-n of said cylinders and housing, means for actuating said cylinders and pistons, and means for varying the length of stroke of each of said pistons.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ARTHUR BEIJER. Witnesses E.4V. E. ATWELL, I-I. G. HARRIMAN. 

